Lady Warriors victorious again
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Feb. 20, 2004
DECATUR The 15th-ranked Lady Warriors of East Central Community College closed out their regular season with an 85-66 win over Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Thursday night.
ECCC improved to 23-2 overall and 13-1 in the MACJC South Division. The next action for the division champion Lady Warriors will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. against the No. 4 team from the North Division, either Itawamba or Holmes, in the state tournament at Booneville.
Gulf Coast, which also qualified for the state tournament, fell to 19-6 and 9-5.
The first half was a struggle as ECCC quickly fell behind 5-0 before going up 21-14 on a free throw from Ebone'e Leverette with 8:25 remaining in the half.
Gulf Coast battled back to take a 33-32 lead on a 3-pointer from JoAnna Williams with 2:21 to go before halftime.
A 3-pointer from Kimyatta Viverette, a three-point play from Rita Birden, and a basket from Lenore Gray enabled ECCC to take a 40-35 lead into halftime.
Kotreece Bender buried a trey with just under 12 minutes left in the game to give the Lady Warriors a 10-point lead at 55-45. ECCC reeled off seven more points before the Lady Bulldogs scored again to grab a 17-point advantage with 8:47 to go.
It was clear sailing after that as ECCC led by as many as 23 points.
The teams could meet again Wednesday in the state tournament semifinals.
The Lady Warriors got 19 points from Viverette, 16 from Kristin Chaney, 11 from Birden, 10 from Gray, and nine from Bender.
Gulf Coast got 26 points from Williams and 10 from Katie Kogel.
Gulf Coast (men) 99
ECCC 97
Courtenay Brown buried a 3-pointer from the right corner with 8.6 seconds left in overtime to give Gulf Coast the win.
ECCC led by as many as eight points on two occasions in the first half before taking a 41-36 lead into intermission.
Gulf Coast opened the second half with a 10-0 run to go up 46-41.
The Bulldogs led by as many as 14 points after Terrell Jordan converted a three-point play with 12:34 left in regulation for a 65-51 lead.
ECCC battled back to tie the game at 88-88 at the end of regulation. Tawon Walker put the Warriors up 88-86 with a pair of free throws with 1:03 left, but Gulf Coast's Justin Turner tied the game with a basket with 47 seconds showing.
In overtime, the Warriors went up 97-92 with 2:05 remaining on a layup by Al Willis and a three-point play from Walker.
After two free throws from Turner pulled the Bulldogs to within 97-96 with 49 seconds left, Brown stuck his trey in the hole for a 99-97 lead with 8.6 seconds showing.
Jamaal Martin's 3-point shot for the win at the horn drew iron before bouncing off.
ECCC (10-14, 5-9) got 22 points apiece from Martin and Walker, 16 from Dewayne Hughes, 12 from Desmond Jones, and eight from Willis.
Gulf Coast (11-14, 7-7) got 23 points from Jordan, 17 each from Turner and Al Washington, 16 from Brown, and 11 from Garland Stewart.
